I had the exact same problem because I tried to attach to my company's exchange server, Apparently, I was no longer able to access the personal data files that "directed" mu Outllok where to put my eamil.

I resolved it doing the following:

1. Go to Start and click"Control Panel"
2. Double-click on"Mail"
3. Select "Data Files"
4. Click on "Personal Folders" then select "Set as Default" on bar just above.
5. You will have to restart Outlook, but this should resolve you problem IF you have data files that are not besing accessed.

Good luck!!

• Proposed as answer by coolbuddy_0 Wednesday, November 25, 2009 3:23 AM

I had the exact same problem because I tried to attach to my company's exchange server, Apparently, I was no longer able to access the personal data files that "directed" mu Outllok where to put my eamil.

I resolved it doing the following:

1. Go to Start and click"Control Panel"
2. Double-click on"Mail"
3. Select "Data Files"
4. Click on "Personal Folders" then select "Set as Default" on bar just above.
5. You will have to restart Outlook, but this should resolve you problem IF you have data files that are not besing accessed.

Good luck!!

• Proposed as answer by coolbuddy_0 Wednesday, November 25, 2009 3:23 AM

Thank you so much! Your fix was excellent!

Thank you! It fixed my problem (I had tried to connect to an exchange server also).

Excellent this fixed my problem!!

• Proposed as answer by SMOKEY7244521 Wednesday, June 10, 2009 9:31 PM

Excellent this fixed my problem!!

• Proposed as answer by SMOKEY7244521 Wednesday, June 10, 2009 9:31 PM

Nice one fixed my problem as well

AHHHHH -- THANK YOU a million thanks!

Hey thanks..It worked liked a charm!

Bingo ... this did it ... I had also tried to connect to an exchange server at work. Apparently MS doesn't want us to do that! ;-) go figure ..

Oh oh ... only problem now, although I am getting my mail, is that all my extensive 'rules' of filing in this folder and that folder are totally wiped out! Any idea on how to save or find them? From now on I better export them since MS wipes them out so easily without even a warning.

Awesome, I had the same problem this evening and i found thisconversation and your fix has solved my problem!!! :)

Thank you!

Worked for me too. Cheers

Thank you that worked. It was starting to drive me crazy.

THANK YOU!!!!  I have been fighting this for over a month.  You are the fixer!

great, thanks, it worked

Huh - wish I could say the same.

A coworker is getting the same message.  While trying to help her, I've followed the instructions mdltx posted below - no change in the error message, except for a half-second, as she logs into Outlook, the error message says something like "a data file was closed improperly <mumble>" then gets overwritten by the above message.

She's been using Outlook Web Access for now.

Out of ideas here, don't know what else to try.

rastr-eyes

this may be off topic for the post. But have you tried to repair the coworkers .pst file? This is different than the Outlook repair tool, which fixes Outlook itself.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook-help/repair-an-ost-or-pst-file-in-outlook-HA001056300.aspx

So this pretty much worked for me though I had to click on "Add" and locate my PST file. I changed the View to Details so I could make sure it had today's day on it, then selected it and then set it as default. This completed my upgrade from Outlook 2003, which couldn't seem to find my PST file and now I'm working perfectly in Outlook 2007. Thanks, and I propose this reply as THE ANSWER.

 

Thanks, mdltx!

Thank you now I can access Outlook your fix work just fine.

 

Thank again.

Thank you!!  I only wish I had found this thread an hour ago!!

When I go to start and click "control panel" there is no mail option (I'm using Windows Vista)  On the start menu there is an E-mail tab, but when I clicked on it once or even double clicked it, the message said "the item you selected is unavailable. It might have been moved, renamed or removed.  Do you want to delete from the list."  After trying to use this as the "Mail" icon you mentioned and having the same results, I removed from the list.    The "Mail" that is on the start up menu is "windows mail" and it just opens that.  It doesn't have a "data file" tab to select.   I am using a multi-user laptop.  When I sign in under my husband, no problem outlook works fine for me, but all my information is under my profile and I have to be able to use outlook under my profile to do my work and I must be able to receive and send emails and set dates on the calendar, etc.  Please Help! 

You're a champ!

Thanks , it solved the problem

You are the best. This worked 

many thanks

Thank you! Thank You!!!!

I thought a recent Anti-Virus/Malware test program I downloaded did this. Very relieved to have found the answer!

My hero!  That's exactly how it happened to me and your solution fixed it.

Hi thanks, got it....

Very much appreciated , I could not afford to loose the 1000's of emails I had in 5 accounts. Just to let everyone else know. What caused my problem was trying to add a Exchange account to my personal system, which failed. At that point I started getting the error. It did create a .OST file for the exchange email but never connected to the server so I guess it left it in a half-way state. Once again THANKS .